1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to apparatus for holding flat articles. More particularly, the invention pertains to apparatus for holding and presenting flat articles for use in a working environment.
2. State of the Art
The proliferation of electronic equipment has led to a variety of flat non-covered electronic media devices such as the compact disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD), and other thin devices. Such storage devices are useful for the storage, installation and play of computer software as well as audio, video and audio/video programs such as music, DVD movies, and games, for example. In this document, all of these devices will be simply designated as compact disks (CD""s).
Traditionally, CD""s are for the most part sold in so-called xe2x80x9cplastic jewel boxesxe2x80x9d which protect the CD when ;not in use. The jewel box contains an inner clamp which fits into the center hole of a CD to hold it in place, and includes a hinged cover which snaps shut. Typically, the jewel box contains a front label and printed material relating to the CD.
The conventional jewel box has a thickness dimension of about 10-11 mm,which is considerably greater than the 1 mm CD thickness. While most conventional jewel cases are designed to hold one CD, some are capable of holding 2 disks. Jewel boxes of significantly reduced thickness are now available, and have a thickness dimension of about 3-5mm.
To remove a CD from a jewel box, the hinged cover must be opened, and the inner clamp depressed while pulling the CD upward at its edges.
Some CD""s are packaged in paper or cardboard containers of typically thin cross-section, or simply placed in paper sleeves.
Typically, both a CD and its package have an identifying label on the face thereof, and if the thickness of the container is sufficient, small lettering identifying the CD may be placed on an edge (spine) of the container. Thus, each CD package is specific to a particular CD, and placement of a CD into a package removes it from view. If a CD is mis-filed, it may be necessary to open each package (e.g. jewel box) until the lost CD is found.
While jewel boxes provide a measure of protection for CD""s, the thin plastic walls, the cover hinge, and the inner clamp of such containers may easily crack or break off, particularly in repeated opening/closing of the box. Broken jewel boxes may be unusable, and may have sharp edges which may cut a user""s finger. Damaged jewel boxes are typically discarded. In addition, the wide variety of jewel box dimensions (in particular, the thickness) makes it difficult or impossible to file jewel boxes of all sizes in a single storage container.
The CD collection of a user may be extensive, requiring a substantial storage space. Various approaches to disk storage may be found in the art. Prominent among these are various shelves, racks, and cases for holding a substantial number of disks in the jewel boxes, and albums containing pages with plastic inserts into which bare CDs may be inserted. The jewel boxes are typically stored in a stacked arrangement, making recognition of a particular desired jewel box difficult, and the albums quickly become too thick to handle. Often, only the front-most CD in the stack is visibly identifiable. Furthermore, the size of jewel box which is accommodated by a stacked storage rack is typically limited.
In practice, the task of removing CD""s from the jewel boxes, keeping track of the empty jewel boxes, and replacing CD""s in the correct jewel boxes when finished is very inconvenient. As a result, the user typically places the CD""s on a convenient surface after use, not refiling them in their respective Jewel boxes until later, if ever. This is particularly so if the CD""s are to be reused in the near future. Moreover, a user generally will seek to utilize his computer time, music set-up time, or DVD set-up time most efficiently, not wishing to spend time manually searching for jewel boxes, removing and placing disks in the correct box, refiling the box in a storage rack, and the like. The result is disorganized CD collections, cluttered work areas, placement of CD""s on rough scratch-inducing surfaces, and wasted user time. As is well known, a scratch on the working surface of a CD will render some of the encrypted data unreadable by the laser beam of the electronic reader, resulting in a CD xe2x80x9cskipxe2x80x9d during play.
Various albums and cases for storing bare (unboxed) CD""s are available. Such containers have the same general disadvantages as storage in jewel boxes and the like. For example, album-type storage apparatus typically have special clear plastic pages with tightly fitting pockets for storing CD""s. Generally, one side of the CD may be viewed. Typically, each page contains an envelope(s) for storing 1, 2, or 4 CD""s per side. A user must leaf through the album until the desired CD is located. Some storage albums incorporate closures of each pocket, typically comprising zippers, VELCRO closures, and the like. In addition, a user may place the CD liner notes or cover art inside the envelope so that each CD has its own specific envelope. If a CD is inserted in the wrong envelope, additional work is required to find it later. In summary, the task of locating, removing and replacing CD""s in an album is sufficiently time-consuming so that it may not be used as intended.
Inasmuch as currently available CD storage racks, cases, albums and the like have features which encourage their non-use or limited use during actual application of CD""s, an apparatus is needed for interim placement of CD""s being used at a computer work station, home CD/DVD player or the like, wherein media disks may be positioned for ready identification, selection, removal for use and temporarily storage prior to returning to more permanent storage.
The invention comprises a rack or holder for short term storage and use of xe2x80x9cbarexe2x80x9d media disks and similar thin planar devices. Disks may be inserted and removed quickly by light finger pressure along the disk edge, making the rack very advantageous where disks are used repeatedly for short time periods. The rack is equally usable with enclosed media disks such as 3xc2xd inch xe2x80x9cfloppiesxe2x80x9d, for example. The rack may be used for storage of any relatively rigid material with a thin cross-section.
The rack of the invention takes up little space, yet each of the disks in the rack is readily identified without disk removal, album page turning, or similar manipulation. A disk may be placed in any unoccupied position of the rack, with a sufficient portion of the disk""s front face visible for identification.
The rack of the invention includes one or more xe2x80x9cflower piecesxe2x80x9d, each comprising a plurality (typically three) lobes spaced equilaterally about a center axis of the rack. Each lobe includes an outer portion and a separate inner portion spaced upwardly from the outer portion. A media disk, etc. may be inserted and held between the inner and outer portions of the lobe. Each lobe is intended to accept a single disk or other item. The storage capacity of the rack is customizable by the addition or subtraction of modular components.